Neuroanatomical and neurophysiological evidence of pulmonary nociceptor and carotid chemoreceptor convergence in the nucleus tractus solitarius and nucleus ambiguus

Abstract

Sensory afferents have been shown to converge onto nucleus tractus solitarius primary neurons. Here, we show sensory convergence of two distinct sets of sensory afferents in motor nuclei of the nucleus ambiguus, which results in augmentation of airway defense motor output.